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Carlos Sainz said Lewis Hamiltonâs breakthrough at Ferrari, sealed by his first win for the team in Barcelona, may be down to the regulation change producing a car that suits Hamiltonâs driving style better. Carlos Sainz said: "In the end, it shows that this sport has no secrets. I think we all have a very high level of talent, but with different driving characteristics. Some cars suit us, others don't. He's also benefited from the regulation change because if he'd been stuck with last year's car for another three years, maybe we wouldn't be seeing the Lewis we're seeing this season."
Ferrari is waiting for FIA approval to introduce an upgraded power unit as early as the Austrian Grand Prix, with a third version of its 067/6 engine due to be shipped to Spielberg under the ADUO development provisions. The update further pushes Ferrariâs steel-alloy cylinder-head concept and will run alongside a new Shell fuel developed specifically for that configuration, with the higher combustion temperatures expected to help reduce Ferrariâs internal combustion engine power deficit to Mercedes.
Aston Martin has confirmed Jak Crawford will replace Lance Stroll in FP1 at next weekendâs Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, as part of F1âs requirement for teams to run rookies in four Friday practice sessions across the season. Crawford said: âItâs great to have another opportunity to drive the AMR26 during a race weekend,â while Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack added: âJak continues to play an important role as third driver and this FP1 session is another valuable step in that process.â
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has been spotted commuting around Monaco in a customised Fiat Topolino beach car, swapping his usual supercar garage for the doorless, two-seat electric quadricycle. Footage shared on social media showed Sainz driving the 28mph Topolino with several bespoke touches, including a tartan roof, side ropes and matching tartan interior details, with headrests embroidered with initials.
Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto said the teamâs power unit deficit can cost it âmore than a secondâ a lap at certain circuits. Bortoleto said: "It's clear also from the ADUO that we have a deficit on the engine, and we are losing quite a lot per lap. I think Mattia [Binotto] already mentioned in the past more than a second, depending on the track, and this is not exaggerating. This is the truth about where we are standing, and it's normal, because it's the first season of our engine."
Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies said the team wants further discussions with the FIA after it was denied Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) on its 2026 power unit because the governing body judged it to have the benchmark internal combustion engine. Mekies said: "We are completely okay with the fact that the rule states that you should only try to estimate the pecking order of the ICE power. We are completely okay with that, we have all agreed to that, and we donât think that is the issue. Where we certainly would like to have a deeper conversation is because we do not see one single data sample that indicates that we would have an advantage over our friends at Mercedes."
Toto Wolff says the media should not compare Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli to Formula 1 legends, despite the 19-year-old winning five races in a row. Wolff said: "We keep emphasising to our friends from the Italian press also, please don't draw any comparison with Ayrton Senna or 'Il Fenomeno', I think Gazzetta titled that he's won five races in a row, which is unbelievable for a young man, but we haven't won a championship, and he's 19."
Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen says the Red Bull driver's contract runs until the end of 2028, but that they want to decide on their 2027 plans quickly. Vermeulen said: "Our contract runs until the end of 2028. Of course, contracts always contain exit clauses, but we've never had to make use of them so far. We want to make a decision quickly so that everyone knows where they stand, possibly even before the summer break."
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says the teamâs next major upgrade package, expected to arrive at the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend, âwill not be enoughâ on its own to close the gap to the top. Mekies said: "Obviously, our next big one is in Austria, but it's only as good as the real lap time it brings on track. Everyone in Milton Keynes has been working very hard on that package, and there is no doubt that the Austrian upgrade alone will not be enough. We know we'll need some further steps, but what is important is that we stay on this continuous, closing-the-gap trajectory."
Lewis Hamilton says his start to the 2026 season, capped by his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona last Sunday, has shown that drivers âdonât lose itâ and can recover form through hard work. Hamilton said: "After a year like last year, there were definitely moments that I was like, 'Sheesh, maybe it is true that when you get to a certain point, you lose it.' But I've proven that you don't. You always have it and it just takes work."
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner says the manufacturer is still on course to fight for the Formula 1 championship in 2030, despite Audi sitting ninth in the Constructors' Championship with two points so far this season. Dollner said: "We are absolutely on that path; to be, for two years, the challenger, then the competitor, and then the fight for the championship target year 2030; that plan is still in place, and we are following it."
Lando Norris says George Russell faces a âtoughâ decision over how much pressure to put on himself as he tries to close a 50-point gap to driversâ championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who has won five of the opening seven grands prix. Norris said: "Maybe now getting to that point, every driver has to find their own way of doing it. It's not one thing works for all. It's tough to know exactly what you've got to do in that situation. Do you put more pressure on yourself? Do you try and feel none of it?"
Carlos Sainz says he is having one of his strongest seasons in Formula 1 even though Williams has been struggling near the lower end of the grid. Sainz said: "I am having a very solid year. If you go back all the way to Australia in free practice, before I had the issue in quali that I couldn't go out and in the race with the front wing, every single race this year I've been on it. I've been doing so far, one of my strongest years, probably in F1."
Honda Formula 1 trackside chief engineer Shintaro Orihara says Honda and Aston Martin are focusing on strengthening their âfundamentalâ trackside operation while they work towards a new engine specification under F1âs Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) scheme. Shintaro Orihara said: "So, if we got the ADUO, we're going to introduce new spec engine. But until that point, engine performance won't change so much. But we can improve our approach to the race... So, that is our target â build up our fundamental trackside operation until we get a new engine. Then we maximise our performance on what we do with new engine."
Red Bull is seeking talks with the FIA over the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) assessment after it was allegedly classified as having the most competitive internal combustion engine, which would leave it unable to apply an engine upgrade this year while rivals could. RacingNews365 reports the FIA has not yet confirmed the findings publicly and has already said its ADUO review is ongoing, but Red Bull says it cannot reconcile the alleged outcome with its own data. Team boss Laurent Mekies said: âWe do not see one single data sample that indicates that we would have an advantage over our friends at Mercedes.â
McLaren says Ayrton Sennaâs MP4/8B test car will return to public view at Julyâs Goodwood Festival of Speed, appearing for the first time since September 1993. The all-white MP4/8B was used to test a Chrysler-Lamborghini V12 and was the last McLaren Senna ever drove, with the team also bringing Sennaâs MP4/8 race car, plus James Huntâs 1976 title-winning M23 and Lando Norrisâs 2023 MCL60. McLaren Racing CMO Lou McEwen said: âIâm particularly excited to bring the MP4/8B for public viewing for the first time since Ayrton and Mika Häkkinen drove it at a test in Estoril in 1993.â
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